Saturday, October 25, 2014

The following is a list of slaves recorded on the succession record of Sarah Rucker Haile, wife of Richard H. Haile, dated May 13, 1859 in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. For more information on this list click here.

Separate Property owned by Sarah Rucker Haile

Name

Approximate Age

Lige

aged 50 years

Betsey

aged 50 years

Lewis

aged 12 years

L. Bob

aged 35 years

Susan

aged 20 years

Louisa

aged 2 years

Pharis

aged 3 years

Francis

aged 28 years

Sam

aged 9 years

Judy

aged 55 years

Dave

aged 25 years

Henrietta

aged 22 years

Old Maria

aged 60 years

Alfred

aged 30 years

John

aged 23 years

Moses

aged 18 years

Isaac

aged 24 years

Taylor

aged 13 years

Community Property owned by Richard H. Haile & Sarah Rucker
Haile

Name

Approximate Age

Clarrisa

aged 50 years

Jim

aged 18 years

Eliza

aged 13 years

Isabel

aged 18 years

Sylvester

aged 4 years

Kelly

aged 30 years

Ellen

aged 3 years

Hannah

aged 10 years

Anna

aged 10 years

Austin

aged 9 years

Patrick

aged 50 years

Ann

aged 45 years

Milly

aged 35 years

Mati?a

aged 15 years

Kitty

aged 50 years

Little Lize

aged 9 years

Lucy

aged 8 years

Phillip

aged 6 years

Noah

aged 4 years

Jacob

aged 1 year

Amelia

aged 15 years

Marinda

aged 12 years

Willis

aged 8 years

Lily

aged 6 years

Doctor

aged 24 years

Chaney

aged 20 years

Delphine

aged 2 years

Charles

aged 45 years

Clarice

aged 45 years

Muse

aged 1 year

Dick

aged 40 years

Ned

aged 23 years

Susan

aged 17 years

Lindy

Infant

Big Nelson

aged 45 years

Lizzy

aged 35 years

Mary Ann

aged 17 years

Mira

aged 12 years

Nelson

aged 10 years

Isaac

aged 6 years

Rachael

aged 2 years

Horace

aged 40 years

Laura

aged 8 years

Horace

aged 4 years

Israel

aged 1 year

John

aged 25 years

Isaac

aged 35 years

Old Billy

aged 60 years

[Tower?]

aged 22 years

L. George

aged 31 years

Judy

aged 40 years

Olivia

aged 16 years

Robert

aged 8 years

Kate

aged 4 years

Temple

aged 1 year

Old George

aged 75 years

Wilson

aged 30 years

Nelly

aged 45 years

Julia

aged 35 years

Mary

aged 15 years

Jim

aged 12 years

Tom

aged 8 years

Corean

aged 6 years

William

aged 4 years

William

aged 4 years

Jack

aged 40 years

Patty

aged 40 years

Tempy

aged 13 years

Minty

aged 10 years

Eleven

aged 31 years

Margaret

aged 35 years

Dennis

aged 16 years

Jenny

aged 55 years

Willis

aged 35 years

Comfort

aged 45 years

Mary Pete

aged 20 years

Julia

aged 23 years

Anthony

aged 30 years

Henry

aged 35 year

Property now in possession of Benjamin Franklin Haile (Son)

Name

Approximate Age

Martha

aged 24 years

Amelia

aged 21 years

Catharine

aged 2 years

Paris

aged 1 year

George

aged 35 years

Caroline

aged 40 years

Louisa

aged 27 years

George

aged 22 years

Ann

aged 24 years

Maria

aged 50 years

Spencer

aged 54 years

Ersy

aged 20 years

Harriet

aged 12 years

Rachael

aged 24 years

Sam

aged 25 years

Leah

aged 2 years

Eliz

aged 22 years & Infant aged 6 months [?]

Rose

aged 17 years

[Illegible]

aged 28 years

Property previously given to Benjamin Franklin Haile (no real
title made to him)

In July of 2013, I went to the Louisiana State Archives for genealogical research. Fortunately, I happened to run intoJudy Riffel, notable Professional Genealogist, Author, Researcher and Lecturer who I met a year or so prior through my cousin, Patricia Bayonne-Johnson.

While looking for information about my ancestors who were slaves on Laurel Hill Plantation, owned by Richard Haile & his wife, Sarah Rucker Haile, Judy helped me discover an incredible five-page document that not only linked me to ancestors I found in the 1870 Census, but also confirmed my relationship with one of my DNA cousins on 23andme.

Judy explained when researching ancestors born during slavery, if you know the name of the slave owner, a great source of information could be a succession, or probate record for the deceased slave owner and/or his/her family members. Prior to the Civil War, slaves were listed as inventory in these records when estimating the value of a person's estate. Naturally, the only way these records are beneficial to researchers looking for slave names is if the slave owner, or his family members died prior to the end of the Civil War. First, Judy and I checked the 1870 & 1880 Census for the Haile Family, Sarah was not listed in 1870 and in 1880, but Richard was listed as a widower. We found her in 1850, but not 1860 so it was plausible that she died within that decade. We searched the microfilm and found an 1859 West Feliciana Parish Succession Record for Sarah Rucker Haile. These first 6 images posted are copies from the original microfilm:

Near the bottom of page 3, my ancestors are listed starting with my 4thgreat-grandmother, Julia Lee, and her children: Mary, Jim Tom, Corean & William. One of my 23andme DNA Relatives told me her 2nd great grandfather was named Thomas Lee from West Feliciana Parish. This document confirmed our relationship. Her DNA matched me and several of my known cousins. We are all descendants of Mary Lee.

This 1880 Census now makes more sense to me. At the top, my 4x GGM Julia Lee is listed as head of household (the surname "Lee" is still a mystery to our family). Next is her son Jefferson, a child not listed in the probate, but looking at his age (20 yrs old), she may have been pregnant with him when the probate was recorded. Jefferson is listed as being born in Louisiana by the notation "La," his father born in South Carolina by the notation "S.C." and his mother born in Maryland by the notation "Md." I highlight this fact because it is my strong belief that Richard Haile is Jefferson's father. On line 25, 5 rows down from Jefferson, is "R. H. Haile," which is Richard at 83 years old. The census shows he was also born in South Carolina.

In 1992, my great-grandmother told me that her mother, Lizzie, was the daughter of "Colonel Haile." Studying the Haile family, I know that Richard and his son Richard, Jr. both carried the title of "Colonel" so I can't say for sure which is her father. There is a possibility that it could be another male Haile child. On Lizzie's death record, her mother's (Mary Lee) maiden name is listed as "Hail." Sadly, this was an unfortunate, yet common occurrence on slave plantations where generations of slave owning males reproduced children with their female slaves. Apparently, Richard fathered all of Julia's children because all of them list their father as being born in South Carolina.

Thanks to the probate record, I now know that Haile's daughter who is listed below him, "M.E. Harbour" is Mary Eliza Harbour. Also, the next head of household listed, "M.W. Stewart" and his wife, "A.C.," are Richard's daughter (Ann Haile Stewart), son-in-law and their children.

Click here for an internet searchable list of all the slaves' names in Sarah Rucker Haile's Succession record for those looking for ancestors in West Feliciana Parish.

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My Cousin's Blog: AFRICAN ROOTS - by Patricia Bayonne-Johnson

About Me

As a native Northern Californian, my journey in genealogy began at the age of 8 when I memorized 7 generations of my maternal line as told to me by my grandmother. I started actively researching my family in 1991 at the age of 19. My maternal line originates from New Orleans, La., Natchez, Mississippi, Virginia, Beaumont & Houston, TX. My paternal line originates from East Baton Rouge & West Feliciana Parishes in Louisiana, Virginia & Maryland. I'm a member of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC) & Le Comité des Archives de la Louisiane, a non-profit genealogical support group for the Louisiana State Archives.